


somewhere it's summer, somewhere it's always spring

by No Donut (Lamashtar)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Benghazi, Bigotry & Prejudice, Current Events, Gen, Inspired by Real Events, Islam, Original Character(s), Politics, Terrorism, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-18
Updated: 2013-03-18
Packaged: 2017-12-05 16:25:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/725366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lamashtar/pseuds/No%20Donut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: America – Hurt/comfort for the 'Innocence of Muslims' protests</p>
<p>Note:  A Hetalia Kink Meme prompt that broke the rules against recent tragic events.  I'd already written it by then.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Alfred is sick at heart at what his people have done, and what others have done to his people.  His fellow Nations reach out to him, but the most unexpected help is the most comforting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

One day, one of his children entered a temple of strangers and murdered the innocents they found inside. Alfred woke to their pain and fear. One day, some of his more misguided people took a pole with the head of a dead pig on it to protest an Arab-American Festival. Sick at heart, Alfred cried under his bedcovers.

England told him, “The Lord of the Flies metaphors just write themselves, don’t they?”

Alfred didn’t think that was funny.

When his American Sikhs prayed that the murderer rest in peace, Alfred wondered—how they could forgive so easily? One of his new children hugged Alfred. He whispered into Alfred’s ear, _“Dukh daru sukh roag bhaya.”_ Pain is the medicine.

Alfred’s flag flew at half mast. His churches had candlelit vigils. New York University had a Turban Day, when everyone, student and teacher, wore turbans. His politicians fell over themselves to be photographed in solidarity with Sikhs.

Alfred cried again, but happily this time, at the love his children could show each other (and the silly ways they chose to do it).

Then

A mosque in Missouri was burned down.

The rest of the people in the local churches and synagogues opened their doors for the Muslims to meet in.

An anti-Islam conference was held in the little town of Dearborn, Michigan, to combat the Sharia law that one of Alfred’s more extreme politicians warned was creeping within.

Other people in Dearborn held a ‘Rejecting Islamophobia’ town hall meeting at the same time.

Oklahoma politicians made Sharia illegal.

Billboards were put up that said ‘Love your Muslim neighbor.’

Alfred didn’t know if he was coming or going.

When a Youtube video nobody had ever heard of hit a talk show in Egypt, the firestorm of anger—all directed at him—left Alfred reeling, too much in shock to understand.

I want to go home, he thought.

Alfred’s Boss called. He sounded more tired than Alfred.

“Storms pass,” he said.

Some of his allies called.

Canada was surprisingly belligerent. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Blasphemy is a right.”

Australia called to curse everyone involved out. “Fucking stupid morons! Fuck—!”

“I’m closing my embassies. They burned mine too,” Germany said gloomily.

North Italy sniffled. “His Grace is going to ask everyone to calm down.” In the background, South Italy screamed in fury.

Denmark was cagey. “Don’t believe the hype. It’s all political. Did I ever tell you what happened to me?”

“My people are thinking of joining in the secular satire,” France said offhandedly. Though he couldn’t see him, Alfred could feel the Gallic shrug. “It is in fashion, no?” France sighed. “I’m afraid this will spoil the debut of the Louvre’s new Islamic wing, however..”

“Bloody hell, they were protesting MY embassy when the Germans came over,” England called to rant. “Film was awful, by the way. Dubbing just ruins it.”

Neither of them knew what to say about Prince Harry. In the end, England said he’d talk to Alfred later and hung up.

Libya called him. The Nation was crying. “I’m sorry.”

Four Americans dead, including his Ambassador.

Another Youtube video, this one showing a crowd dragging the ambassador out. A too belated translation would reveal they were trying to rescue him.

“I liked him. I’m so sorry,” Libya kept weeping.

Alfred was numb.

His voice cracked. “Yeah.”

…

“He liked you too.”

…

Then

There were

Flowers

Brought to the dead

Ambassador’s empty house.

The children of Libya

Protesting

The murders.

Thugs and killers

They said

Don’t Represent

Benghazi or Islam

Our Law

They said

Is the Law of Allah

Not the Law of the Jungle

Sorry

People of America

They said

This is Not Islam

This is Not

Our Prophet

30,000 Libyans.

One hundred times the size of the first mob.

They marched.

Thirty thousands of Libya’s people marched in protest.

To protest the violence.

To protest the militias.

They said

We want police

We want army

We demand

Justice

With our lives and souls, we redeem you, Benghazi

Libya has lost a friend.

A cleric stood in the public square. He urged young fighters to give up their weapons. “The nation is built with knowledge, not guns.”

A former revolutionary said, “I want to move from the stage of the revolution to state building.” He brought his family with him as he handed over his weapon.

Children brought in bullets found in the streets. The government gave away raffle tickets to everybody who brought in a weapon.

In his heart, Alfred felt a painful warmth, the fire of hope springing back to life.

“Thank you,” he whispered through clasped hands. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My notes went over the word limit! See Ch. 2 for the annotations.


	2. Annotations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because my annotations went over the limit, I put them here.

On August 5, 2012, a man entered the Sikh temple of Oak Creek, Wisconsin and shot several people. He was shot by police and committed suicide. No motive was ascribed to him, but hate for non-whites.  
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/06/opinion/kaur-sikhs/index.html  


On June 15, 2012, Dearborn, Michigan's 17th Annual International Arab Festival was disrupted by an anti-Islamic protest by self-described Christian 'official street preachers' carrying the head of a dead pig on a pole and generally engaging in rude behavior. Videos edited to only show the festival participants throwing debris at the protesters, 'stoning', went viral online. This is not the first time Dearborn, which is one third Arab (of various faiths), has been targeted by anti-Islamists, such as Terry Jones. http://www.dearbornfreepress.com/2012/07/01/protestors-disrupt-arab-festival-with-pigs-head-on-pole/  


The Sharia accusation: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43451.html  


Lord of the Flies is a novel by English writer William Golding. It is considered one of the most important books in English literature addressing the savagery inherent in human nature and the conflicts of civilization. One of it's iconic images is a dead pig-head on a stick, swarming with flies, that identifies itself in one character's delusion as the Lord of the Flies (a direct translation of the demon Beelzebub), a Beast created by humans but within all of them.

  


Part of a Sikh prayer:  
Dukh daru sukh rog bhaia ja sukh tam na hoi…  
Pain is the medicine, and comfort is the disease.  
When engrossed in luxuries, mankind forgets God….  
Meaning that where a life of ease becomes an ailment, suffering and pain may be the panacea.  
  


Can't find images from the NYU Turban Day, though it's cited in an [article](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ij-singh/wisconsin-killings-threatening-clouds-silver-linings_b_1922971.html); so here are MURICAN turbans! [MERICA TURBAN 1](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/Lamashtar/mericanturban2_zpsdd12ddbb.png)  [MERICA TURBAN 2](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/Lamashtar/mericanturban_zps7f2eddad.png)  joelgordon.com

Bonus! Sikh Mountie: [CANUCK TURBAN](http://www.sikhnet.com/news/rcmp-sergeant-baltej-singh-dhillon-speaks-out)

On August 6, 2012, in the holy month of Ramadan, a mosque in Joplin, Missouri burned to the ground. The cause remains undetermined. A fire started on July 4th a month earlier was determined arson. Local churches and synagogues opened their doors to offer worship space and a local rally was held August 25th to support and raise funds for rebuilding. http://www.christianpost.com/news/missouri-churches-host-iftar-for-muslims-whose-mosque-burned-down-79781/

  


US passes laws against Sharia. http://www.npr.org/2011/08/09/139168699/whos-behind-the-movement-to-ban-shariah-law

  


Local Christians put up pro-Muslim billboards. http://wpln.org/?p=41071

  


The anti-Islam and anti-Islamophobia conferences of Dearborn, Michigan were held April 29, 2012. http://www.aaiusa.org/blog/entry/aai-community-town-hall-shatters-anti-muslim-narrative/

  


The trailer for 'Desert Warriors', renamed and dubbed over as 'Innocence of Muslims', was uploaded in July 2012. An Arabic language redub was uploaded in early September 2012. On September 9, 2012, an excerpt of the YouTube video was broadcast on Al-Nas TV, an Egyptian Islamist television station. The tv host insists he is not responsible for inciting the subsequent violence. Although hate speech is disapproved of, it and blasphemy have been legal in the US since the 1970's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innocence_of_Muslims http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/09/us-embassy-attacks-benghazi-cairo-explained

  


Canadian reactions include an article entitled, 'In Praise of Blasphemy', and a Toronto group that wants to screen the movie along with other blasphemous productions offensive to Christians and Hindus.

  


Australia's reaction is based on this guy. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/an-open-letter-20120915-25ziq.html Most Australian Muslims decried the violent protests and informed the police ahead of time.

  


The Pope was in Lebanon and asked everybody to be nice to each other. South Italy was based on some angry Italian commentators. Protesters in Benghazi also burned the Italian consulate in 2006 when a ultra-right-wing Italian minister wore a t-shirt of one of the Danish Mohammed cartoons. Libya was briefly an Italian colony. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/02/17/libya.cartoons/index.html Italian embassies take precautions: http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a328572.html

  


In Sudan, a prominent sheik on state radio called for protests against Germany as well as the US, because of graffiti on German mosques. The German embassy was set on fire, the German flag burned and replaced with a flag of Islam. The staff took shelter at the British embassy next door. Germany closed a number of embassies in Muslim countries on Friday over security concerns. A German nationalist group is also trying to get a public viewing of the film. The German satirical magazine Titanic intends to publish cartoons of Islam. Sudan's Foreign Ministry also criticised Germany for allowing a protest last month by right-wing activists carrying caricatures of the Prophet and for Chancellor Angela Merkel giving an award in 2010 to a Danish cartoonist who depicted the Prophet in 2005 triggering protests across the Islamic world. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/german-press-review-on-middle-east-violence-against-us-embassies-a-855835.html

  


On September 30, 2005, a Danish paper published 12 cartoons about Mohammed. Islamist Danish imams made copies and added several other images, which the imams later refused to identify where they'd gotten them from. The extra images included a man having sex with a dog, a man in a pig costume and a man with 'paedophile' scribbled on it, all labeled 'Mohammed'. Analysts say the writing is by someone whose native writing is Arabic. The man in the pig costume was a still from a French pig-squealing contest. Danish embassies were bombed in Pakistan, burned in Syria, Lebanon and Iran, and various flags of Western nations were burned in Gaza City. A Norwegian embassy was also burned. 100 deaths of Muslim protesters were reported as a result. Arab nations boycotted Danish goods; in response, right-wing Americans successfully campaigned to raise sales of Danish imports.  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons_controversy  
This Danish blog also has links to a theory that blames the Danish cartoon protests on the Saudi Arabian government. http://bibelen.blogspot.com/2007/12/why-i-published-those-cartoons.html#links

Some support for the political conspiracy theory: http://blog.britishcouncil.org/oursharedfuture/2012/09/17/the-full-story-behind-the-muhammad-film-protests/

In France, on September 19, 2012, the anti-religious, anti-government satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo printed several insulting cartoons about Mohammed. After an initial protest in Paris against the American youtube trailer, French authorities banned further protests against it (laws to ban potentially violent protests had been passed earlier). The weekly's offices were firebombed last November for similar acts and there have been other depictions of Mohammed in French magazines over the years. http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/19/magazines-nude-mohammad-cartoons-prompt-france-to-shut-embassies-schools-in-20-countries/ 

On September 20, 2012, French president Hollande opened the Islamic art wing in Louvre, while denouncing the 'unfathomable stupidity' of the Islamists who destroyed Muslim shrines at Timbuktu in northern Mali. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/louvres-islamic-art_n_1901030.html#slide=more251953  
Protests were small in Britain but most British media focused on the violence of the protests. Tony Blair described the film trailer as 'laughable' piece of work that it would be 'absurd' to protest because 'no one should take the film seriously.' Also, there was a Taliban attack on the coalition Camp Bastion in Afghanistan in response to the film, with the specific base chosen because Prince Harry of the British royal family was stationed there. The Taliban had threatened the prince's life before. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19608496 

Video of Libyan crowd with Ambassador: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw_OKgx6tRA

Flowers: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120921/world/Libya-honours-murdered-American-ambassador.437793

The words ascribed to the Libyan people came from Google images search and here: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/09/13/libya-attack-2012-libyans-benghazi-demonstration-us-embassy_n_1879798.html?just_reloaded=1  
http://trevorprice.net/2012/09/22/defending-muslims/  
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/slideshow/5-hits-and-misses-9-28-49815.php  
http://www.ohio.com/editorial/thomas-l-friedman-backlash-to-extremism-1.337508  
http://centerforworldconflictandpeace.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-libya-example.html

The Libyan anti-militia march: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/eleven-killed-after-protesters-attack-militias-in-benghazi/article4561247/

The weapons handover in Libya: http://www.tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=9228  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19776421  
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/09/201292916631790143.html

US Ambassador Stevens words to Libya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_SIIxholL4


End file.
